Do Not Take Any Unnecessary Risks
by Gemstarzah
Summary: Legolas thinks back over the events that led to him coming face to face with Mordor's Black Gates, as his father and grandfather once were.


**Entry Title:** _ **Don't take any unnecessary risks**_

Black gates loomed made an intimidating impression as they loomed overhead. Legolas could hear men behind him muttering to each other as they drew closer to those gates. He could sense the unease in all the men, and knew that it was because they were so close to Mordor, and Sauron's Eye.

 _We came here for a reason. To distract Sauron from where Frodo and Sam are._ Legolas did not feel fear, he knew that Sauron was there, and that it was the elves who had struck his body down, even if Isildur had failed them all by keeping the One Ring.

 _How did it come to this?_ Legolas knew if his father knew where he was now… Thranduil would likely be worried, though he wouldn't show it. His father rarely ever let the mask he wore as King be dented by how he felt as a father. At least, in public.

His mind drifted back to that moment when he'd last seen his Adar.

 _The time had come for the small group of warriors to leave for Imladris, with the need to consult with Lord Elrond on a matter. While Legolas had not understood at the time why elves were being sent, instead of a message bearing hawk, he had not been surprised that he had been asked to go._

" _Be careful while you are in Imladris. I have the feeling that Lord Elrond will be up to something when you get there. Don't take any unnecessary risks, ion-nin."_

They know me too well in Imladris now. _Indeed, Legolas had found that he was no longer challenged when he was going into the valley. The guards barely even looked at him for more than a few seconds whenever he arrived in their sight._

" _Unnecessary risks, Adar?"_

Why would Adar tell me to be careful? Does he not realise how many times I've gone off with the twins hunting orcs on a whim from them?

 _He'd already said a private farewell to Faingwaloth, and had made her a promise, that when he returned from this trip, they would say their vows._ I have something to come back to, I am not about to throw everything away on a whim.

" _Just be careful, ion-nin. I do not know what is going outside the forest, but I imagine Sauron is stirring, if rumours are true. This makes me feel as though he is back to actively searching for the things he desires. I would not put it past that Peredhel to be planning a way to combat that issue."_

 _Legolas nodded._ Sauron, returning? Since when? _Aside from the arachnids spawning in Dol Guldur, there was not any other sign that he was coming back, here in Mirkwood._

" _I will be, adar."_

It was hard to believe, that almost a year ago, he had ridden into Imladris, with a mere query for Elrond that his father hadn't wanted to put into writing and send with a bird. _I wonder if Adar would call this quest an unnecessary risk?_ To Legolas, riding beside Aragorn, it did not seem to fit his father's warning. _Sauron took my grandadar from me. It's time someone taught him that he is no longer welcome here in Middle-Earth, and this time, the task will be finished!_

So much had changed while he had been travelling with the Fellowship. Once, he hadn't seen eye to eye with Gimli, son of Gloin about anything, now, they had become good friends. _Adar would laugh if he knew that I too had made a friend in a dwarf. That or give me a serious scolding, considering Gimli is from Erebor._ Legolas knew that he wouldn't perhaps die for his cursedly-short bearded friend, but he did sometimes feel the wish to protect him. _Gimli would laugh if he knew that._

Feeling Arod stop, Legolas looked over at Aragorn. _What now?_ He raised an eyebrow in silent question.

"Éomer, Elladan, Elrohir, Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf, Merry, Pippin and I will go forward from here, and draw Sauron's gaze. The rest of you need to be ready for whatever comes."

 _Draw his attention to us? As we had planned to do from the beginning of coming this way?_ Legolas nodded however, and urged Arod forward as Aragorn rode forward once more. _Aragorn has truly changed since we set out on this journey with Frodo._

When the gates opened, and a figure came riding out, even Legolas was hard pressed not to recoil away from it. The creature was foul indeed, and really, all he could see of the face was its mouth. _This is what Sauron sends to treat with us?_

He was gladdened, when nothing came his way that he had to answer to. In the distance, he could see the tower of Barad-Dur, where Sauron's vivid blood red eye was looking toward them from. _Grandadar might have fallen here, but I will not follow in his footsteps. I will live to see you cast down once and for all._

And so they rode back to where the Rohirrim, Knights of Dol Amroth, and Gondor, as well as the Dúnedain were waiting. Legolas glanced behind himself as he rode forward, and saw the crowd of orcs coming out of the gates.

 _So it comes to this._ One last fight to determine whether Frodo was safe and destroying the ring or not. Dismounting, Legolas spoke to Arod for a few moments, before sending the white stallion away. Silently, he withdrew an arrow from the quiver at his back. Time to do what was needed, and distract Sauron and all his forces from the true threat.

Two little hobbits, somewhere in the Black Lands.

 _I hope that we give them enough time, and distract Sauron long enough for the Ring to be cast into Orodruin._

" **Hold your ground, hold your ground! Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!"**

It did not matter overly much that Aragorn had only been talking to the humans around them. Legolas knew that the elves time was over, this might be the last time any elves were seen fighting amongst humans. To him, it wasn't something to worry about. _I know I will remain here for a while, if Sauron falls. I wont sail until the rest of the Fellowship have died._ He would not abandon them, even though he knew his people were leaving. _Why should I abandon friends?_

He had known Aragorn for a long time now, even though at times, he hadn't called him that name.

 _He was starting to think his father had indeed sent him in the wrong direction. There was no sign of anyone living in the lands he was currently travelling in. he'd found a few crumbling ruins, but those seemed ancient, long forgotten._ If there are any Men up here, they have not dwelt here in a long time.

 _It was while he was walking, that he nearly got snared by a loop of rope well-hidden in the undergrowth._ Now who put that there? _He studied the rope, noticing that it seemed not to be rotting, as an old rope left out here in the woods would have with time. It wasn't elven rope, else it might have been hidden even better than this one had been. Somehow, the way it was hidden reminded him of a snare set by an elf, but no elves lived this far north. They hadn't not for a long time, since the First Age, if even then._

 _It was common knowledge amongst the elves, however, that sometimes, Lord Elrond took in some of the Dúnedain, and let them grow up learning from the elves._ Could it be that I found a snare from one such Man? _While it seemed unlikely, there was something there, indeed that had him interested._

Perhaps there are men out here after all.

 _His eyes searched the trees around him, searching for any sign of the owner of the snare. Just as he felt like giving up and moving on, his eyes spotted something silver, shiny. He stared. It was an arrow head, and it was aimed at him!_

" _Who's there?" he called, recognising that this arrow was no elven made one. It wasn't quite crafted as well as those in his quiver._

" _Who wants to know?"_

 _The answer came, but Legolas flinched. The words weren't in the common tongue, no they were in Sindarin, and it was a male voice who answered him._

" _Seeking one of the Dúnedain," he replied, calmly speaking Sindarin himself. "I am no enemy to you if you are one of them."_

 _The arrow vanished from sight, and Legolas wondered whether he'd startled the man so much that he'd fled._

 _Snap!_

 _A stick broke behind him, and Legolas turned swiftly. There, emerging from the woods was a tall man, dark haired, bearded. With grey eyes that belied more knowledge than the man's appearing age suggested he should have._

" _Who are you?" Legolas asked._

" _Depends on who wants to know," the man replied._

" _I was sent here, to seek out the one called Strider," Legolas replied._

 _Recognition showed in the mans eyes now._

" _Why do you seek him?"_

Always asking a lot of questions, these mortals. _Time to turn things back on the man instead of dealing with questions._

" _I was told he might become great amongst men, and I came to see if that was true for myself. As I said, I am no threat to you. Who taught you Sindarin?"_

 _The man seemed quite fluent in the language, more so than Legolas had thought possible._

" _The one who raised me, in place of my own father."_

That tells me nothing, aside from the fact he could be one of Elrond's fosterlings. _Time to be more direct in his questions._

" _Are you the one I seek?"_

 _The man nodded._

 _He was so young back then._ Looking at Aragorn now, Legolas could hardly believe that that youth was the one standing beside him now, Anduril gleaming in his hand. _Back then, I wasn't so sure of whether he would be the one my father meant.._ Now, he knew that Thranduil's words about Aragorn had been true. Aragorn was a great man, and a clever one at that.

Aragorn glanced over at him.

"Something on your mind, mellon-nin?"

Legolas smiled at him.

"Oh just the past, but don't worry, it will not be too distracting for me, when it comes to this fight."

Indeed, he could not let himself be so distracted that there was a chance he might be harmed, or worse. Legolas knew there were those waiting for him back home, whom he had promised he would return to. Like his father… and his mate. She waited for him to return to her, and he did not want to keep her waiting too much longer.

Moria. Rohan. Helm's Deep. The Pelennor Fields. Now. _So many risks we've taken on this journey, and adar warned me to not make any of them._ Legolas knew things had ended for the better, but he knew there was a chance that might not have been the case, had they been less careful. _One more fight, and then it's all over._

Nodding at his friend, he raised his bow, and followed him, when Aragorn started toward their enemy.

 _One more fight, and I can go home. One last necessary risk._


End file.
